Author: Blaz Kos

Technology is one of the important leverages that can dramatically increase your productivity. But the problem is, it can also kill it. Technology is nothing but a tool. Like a hammer, for example. With a hammer, you can hammer a nail or nastily hit your fingers. It depends on how good you are at managing the hammer. It’s same with all contemporary technology, apps and devices. If you manage the tech, your productivity level increases. If the tech manages you, your productivity decreases.

Make sure you regularly sharpen the saw (take good care of your body, emotions, mental health and spirit) but also put down the saw when it’s time to rest (take enough recovery time). Put yourself first and your productivity will skyrocket.

The flow is a psychological state , which you reach when you work on a task that is a little bit out of your comfort zone, and when you work in complete focus, without any distractions and interruptions. When you work on a task that really matters, you soon forget about the time, your worries, about everything else. You just create and deliver. It’s something we have all experienced, usually during play or during creative or artistic activities. The flow is a wonderful state to be in, a godlike state. Learn how to get yourself in the flow as many times as possible.

The bad news is that being productive is hard. Focusing on the hard tasks it's also hard. It’s pretty damn hard. It took me a decade to train myself to be really productive and eliminate all the distractions and low‑value activities. Imagine improving your productivity like exercising. Beginnings are hard, but at some point, you just can’t stop exercising, especially after seeing all the benefits and improvements. It’s the same with productivity. You need to build yourself a proper system, push yourself out of the comfort zone a few times, and soon you will see the first improvements and results.

Never complain about the lack of time. There’s plenty of time in a day, enough time to do meaningful work, spend time with the people you love, rest, and seize the beauty of the day. And besides that, time was created in order not for everything to happen at once. Don’t overestimate what you can achieve in a year, and don’t underestimate what you can achieve in five years’ time. If you keep the long-term perspective, there’s enough time for everything.